As inquiry begins, gross mismanagement by BMC and fire dept resurfaces
The BMC had allegedly been informed of the problems of the mall but no action was taken. Pic/Rajesh Gupta
As BMC had ordered the probe into the fire at Dreams Mall, causing the death of 9 patients at Sunrise Hospital, gross mismanagement by the BMC, and the Fire Department has resurfaced. The mall, which is fighting a dispute and governed by an administrator appointed by National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT), says that red flags were raised about the dire situation of the mall and its premises. The most startling thing of all is that the mall hasn’t had any water or electricity supply since 2016, and the administrator had questioned fire officials and the BMC on how they issued an OC to the hospital.
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After the death of 9 patients in the blaze, Sunrise Hospital had blamed NCLT Administrator Advocate Rahul Sahastrabuddhe for mismanagement and ill-maintenance of the mall premises. mid-day reached out to Sahastrabuddhe, who proceeded to say that, “I have been appointed by the NCLT to oversee the mall’s common facilities and my mandate is to collect maintenance from shopkeepers, including the hospital itself. But except the small shopkeepers, the hospital, PMC Bank and other entities of HDIL have not cooperated and they haven’t paid a single rupee,” said Rahul Sahastrabuddhe.
“The hospital and other entities claim they are maintaining their own facilities, so I have apprised NCLT time and again. I have also filed an application in NCLT after receiving a notice from the fire department as well as Mumbai Police for doing a security audit of the mall. And I have made it clear to the NCLT that it’s impossible to maintain the establishment without big players paying their dues,” he added. mid-day accessed some documents which show that the administrator had written a letter to HDIL demanding common area maintenance (CAM) charges which amounted to over Rs 6 crore.
Speaking over setting up hospital in such premises, Sahastrabuddhe said, “Since 2020, a hearing could not happen due to COVID-19, over various issues regarding maintenance of mall, but I had told NCLT that the situation is very dangerous. I have also alerted BMC time to time about this ill managementm but BMC hasn’t acted at all. I had also told BMC about illegality done by this hospital. In fact, OC issued to hospital mentions that the permission is given without following mandatory norms, which includes fire safety. The mall in which hospital is placed doesn’t have fire system but hospital got it, it’s strange,” he added. The administrator had told the fire department that the mall hasn’t had water and electricity since 2016.
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